The Samsung Music Frame connected speaker is inspired by the Korean manufacturer’s The Frame Lifestyle TV range. This model, compatible with Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth, takes the appearance of a picture frame and plays your music or, when paired with a TV, the audio track of a film or series. Priced at €449, does the Samsung Music Frame speaker’s musical qualities match its innovative design?
Included accessories
The Samsung Music Frame connected speaker is delivered perfectly protected in its box. The latter contains the speaker, the power cord and two interchangeable pictures to display in the speaker frame. Also included are a pedestal and a wall bracket complete with screws. The pedestal enables the speaker to be installed on a piece of furniture, while the bracket is designed for wall mounting.
Presentation
Design
This is the main advantage of this new speaker from the Korean manufacturer. Like some outdoor speakers, the Music Frame is designed to blend into its environment. Placed on its pedestal or hung on the wall, it offers a decorative solution, whether in the bedroom or the living room. This innovative speaker is guaranteed to impress and promises both elegant design and excellent sound quality.
While the speaker comes with two interchangeable posters, music lovers can use the template to display a personal photo. Changing the picture takes just a few seconds. However, the operation does require a certain amount of care, as the photo has to be bent slightly before it can be inserted into the frame. Samsung has gone to great lengths to create a device that integrates perfectly as a decorative object. It features an ultra-realistic depth effect and meticulous finishing. Consequently, when the speaker is mounted on a wall or placed on a piece of furniture, it blends into the decor harmoniously. This design, together with Q-Symphony technology, also makes speaker ideal for pairing with a Samsung TV or compatible soundbar.
In addition to the interchangeable photo, the Samsung Music Frame wireless speaker is a truly timeless audio system. It can evolve with your decor and the layout of your space. The speaker can be installed on its pedestal or placed on a piece of furniture. In smaller spaces, such as a bedroom, it can be wall-mounted using the included wall bracket.
Audio design
Despite its ultra-thin format (just 55mm thick), the Samsung Music Frame connected speaker manages to integrate six drivers: two tweeters, two midrange drivers and two woofers. The whole system is powered by a 120-watt amplifier module. The tweeters and midrange drivers are positioned at the front, concealed under a honeycombed plastic plate, itself covered by the picture installed in the frame. The two woofers face the rear and are perfectly visible. Along with the power cable, this is the only element that differentiates the Samsung Music Frame from a traditional picture frame.
Wireless technologies
Obviously, the main reason Samsung has gone to such lengths to create a new Music Frame wireless speaker that blends harmoniously into the living room, bedroom or kitchen is to allow users to stream music wirelessly. To this end, it is Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast compatible. This new speaker from the Korean manufacturer can therefore be added to a multi-brand multi-room system to diffuse music throughout the home. The Samsung Music Frame can also be controlled using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands via Google Home, or from the proprietary SmartThings app.
What’s more, the speaker is compatible with Samsung’s proprietary Q-Symphony technology. This enables it to be connected wirelessly to a Samsung TV or soundbar. It then broadcasts the TV sound as a front or surround speaker, without latency. This technology enhances immersion by synchronizing the speaker’s drivers with those of the associated Samsung TV. This function, dedicated to home theater, can be accessed via WiFi through the SmartThings app or via the speaker’s optical input. As the icing on the cake, the Music Frame supports Dolby Atmos audio tracks to create a three-dimensional sound bubble around the viewer.
Connectors
Focusing above all on its wireless connectivity, the Samsung Music Frame speaker makes do with an optical digital input, enabling it to be connected to a TV. A USB input allows you to install a SmartThings dongle and centralize your home automation system. A control panel for adjusting the volume and selecting the Bluetooth mode or optical input is located on the back of the speaker.
Key specifications
- 120 watts of power
- 6 drivers
- Customizable frame
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast compatible
- Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
- Dolby Atmos compatible
- Q-Symphony function
- SmartThings app
- Wall or pedestal installation
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 353 x 353 x 54.2mm
- Weight: 4.2kg
Listening conditions
Setting up the Samsung Music Frame connected speaker is simple and intuitive. Like all Bluetooth devices, once the speaker is switched on, simply press the Bluetooth button to trigger the receiver. The Music Frame then appears in the list of devices on the smartphone. Pairing is just as intuitive via the app, which immediately detects the speaker.
Listening impressions
The speaker was tested in two stages. First, in a hi-fi setting using music streamed from Qobuz, then for home theater, using the Q-Symphony function in surround mode.
What can we expect from this ultra-flat speaker when it’s installed on its pedestal? Well, from the very first notes, the Samsung Music Frame imposed its punchy, laid-back reproduction. Despite its limited load volume, the speaker was convincing at high volume in the midrange, and even in the lower mids. Naturally, the low frequencies weren’t as prominent, without being totally absent. The goal of the Samsung Music Frame remains above all to play background music.
The SmartThings app also provides access to the Music Frame speaker’s settings. A dual-band equalizer lets you fine-tune the treble and bass to find the right balance for every listener. In addition, the control app offers three presets: Adaptative Sound, Music and Standard. The Music mode guarantees sharper attacks that energize the listening experience.
The listening position is a decisive factor in the sound reproduction of the Music Frame decorative speaker. When mounted on the wall, it revealed a warmer sound. The bass, diffused by two rear-facing drivers, took advantage of the proximity of the wall to deliver a fuller, rounder sound.
For home theater, we paired the Samsung Music Frame with the Samsung TQ65S95D TV to take advantage of the Q-Symphony function. The latter was activated in a matter of seconds via the screen’s Sound settings. The menu allowed us to set the location of the speaker in the room in order to optimize the sound reproduction. In total, up to five Samsung Music Frame speakers can be combined with a compatible TV to create a truly wireless home theater system.
For this test, we watched and listened to an episode of the House of the Dragon series on Prime Video. The immersion provided by a single speaker in surround already enhanced the home theater experience, making it more realistic and captivating. Rear effects were responsive and delivered without latency. The experience promises even greater immersion with the addition of a second Samsung Music Frame speaker. At the front channel, the speaker provided welcome support for the TV’s built-in drivers.
Equipped with automatic calibration technology, this customizable speaker ensures a balanced sound reproduction that adapts to the living room. Better still, the Samsung Music Frame personalizes the sound according to the program being viewed (series, film, sport, news) thanks to the Adaptive Sound function, which analyzes dialogues and adjusts them to make voices clearer. Ideally, a pair of these multifunctional speakers can be placed on the front stage, on either side of the TV. What’s more, the Active Voice Amplifier (or AVA) detects ambient noise in real time to adjust dialogue volume.
Samsung Music Frame compared to …
Tangent Spectrum Square: priced at €199, the Tangent speaker also has an innovative integration concept, as it is designed to fit into IKEA Kallax and Expedit furniture, and features an interchangeable fabric grille. While it has an auxiliary input, something that is absent from the Samsung model, the amplification module is half as powerful as that of the Music Frame (60 vs. 120W). The Danish model can be wirelessly daisy-chained for stereo, but the Samsung speaker’s versatility wins thanks to its Q-Symphony compatibility, which enables it to be integrated into a wireless home theater system.
Who is the Samsung Music Frame designed for?
This innovative connected speaker system will appeal to those looking for a decorative solution for listening to music in the living room or bedroom without compromising the harmony of the room. Its ability to blend into the decor will appeal to music lovers looking for an ultra-discreet solution, but also to those who want to enhance the audio system of their Samsung TV while preserving their interior design. This decorative speaker solution avoids the sometimes tedious installation of an in-wall system. It’s the ideal compromise between sound quality and harmonious integration. With its focus on wireless connections, this model is also ideal for music fans who prefer digital formats.
Conclusion
This customizable speaker is a true chameleon. It adapts to the space both visually and technologically. Thanks to its wide wireless connectivity, it can be added to a multi-room audio system (via AirPlay 2 or Chromecast) or a wireless home theater installation, thanks to its Q-Symphony compatibility for boosting the sound of a Samsung TV. The Bluetooth receiver also makes it easy to enjoy wireless music in the bedroom or kitchen. Elegant and powerful, the Samsung Music Frame connected speaker redefines home music listening.
We liked
- The innovative design
- The customizable frame
- The Q-Symphony compatibility
- The versatile installation
We would have liked
- An easier way to change the picture
- More connectors
